


Soda Boy

by orphan_account



Series: Saving 75 Cents [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 13:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1511612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yeah, everyone has their “laundry girl”, but Dave has his Soda Boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soda Boy

Dave likes to think that in one point in every person’s life they eventually come to meet their “laundry girl.” You know the one person you don’t know, but sort of know due to the mundane yet redundant events of meeting in a public environment that is intimate in no way, but you still have this weird feeling that you and this one person shares a connection. Despite the hell ton of other people who could have caught your undivided attention in this environment, you could only focus on this one particularly fascinating person. After many meetings and talks you begin having thoughts about this person; it’s nothing creepy at all. You just think that maybe today you should sort of reach for a hand, and nope.

Perhaps during a few conversations you had the inclination to say something stupid like, “Huh, would you look at that, we use the same brand! Brand bros;”or “wow, did you do something with your hair today because I feel as if I could just run my hands through them;” or “if we had kids do you think they’d have your eyes or mine.” This is fairly normal around said person, and you should not be alarmed.

At one point in time, you think you might just stop coming to said establishment in fear that your feelings are becoming too strong and the utter heartbreak of it all will sort of crush you. However, you find yourself unable to move on from this person and think that if you stick around enough, your feelings might be returned. It’s not guaranteed though. Maybe it’s not worth it at all, but you can’t get over how fucking hot he is.

Yeah, everyone has their “laundry girl”, but Dave has his Soda Boy. It was a chance encounter; at just the right time and moment, Dave saw Soda Boy staring intently on the vending machine. The timing couldn’t have been any more perfect since Dave was craving a drink. He knew that machine was giving out freebies (if you know the trick to it), and decided to help a brother out. Turns out, he was hotter up close and personal and dear god did Dave want to get _personal._

Amazingly, Dave managed to persuade the guy to let him do what he wanted to do (to the vending machine), and just like that, two drinks and an impressed customer.

After much conversation about crime and change, he scores Soda Boy’s name.

It’s John. Swoons.

See now imagine that name next to Dave’s on official documents like a housing lease or marriage certificate, or adoption papers. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Dave grinned at the thought, but remembered that _John_ was still breathing right next to him.

Dave made him laugh and in that instant then heaven closed its doors and relocated because it couldn’t compete with sound of John’s laugh. It may sound like wheezing, and or the sound of someone dying but it was stunning nonetheless.

Dave may have flirted with him just a little bit, and he maybe gave John his username for the university’s chat server.

Dave didn’t anticipate the feelings he’d develop for John in the span of three months.

The vending machine became a hangout for the duo. At first, they only ever met there. Dave never met John anywhere else, but on the second week of knowing each other, they’re friendship really hit it off. It was a discussion about music, and you might have said you use to mix back in high school. John was immediately interested in hearing a sample of your so called “sick beats yo’”, and was uber persistent about it. Dave finally gave in, and pulled out his ipod the next time they met by the vending machine.

They sat against the wall that day. It was a tradition for the boys to have the same drinks they bought when they met; Pepsi and Cola. So, soda in hand, and Dave’s ipod in the other, John goes on a magical musical adventure. Just kidding. He listens to Dave’s beats (the ones Dave made the night earlier), but Dave lied and told blue eyes,” Yeah, this is just something I made when I was a freshman in high school. It’s alright, I guess.”

John ignored Dave’s warning and said,” Dude, chill. I know how it feels like to share the music you make with someone else. It’s like giving a part of yourself up, and showing someone that there’s something about you they would realize, and the only way they’ll find out is if you show it to them.”

Dave in surprise and flattery, scoffed and mumbled,” Okay, just listen to it already.”

John gives Dave an ear bud, and they listened to the music together. For ten minutes they sat, they drank, and they listened. It wasn’t as embarrassing Dave thought it would be. Actually, John seemed to enjoy it immensely.

“Dave there is no way you made this in freshman year,” John said as he handed Dave back his earphones.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dave tried to hide. “There’s no way you know what I did like five years ago, unless you time travel or a psychic.”

“You think Rose is a psychic,” John added. “But that’s not the point.” He rolled his eyes in thought. “I’m sure I told you just a few days ago that I was Adam Young’s bitch. And in that track, I’m pretty sure I heard some of his familiar chords in there. And, wow, I am so bad at this.”

Dave looked up at the other, and said, “ So, if you didn’t like it then—“

“Dave,” John interrupted. “Thank you, I mean for everything. I was sort of down since my two friends in the world sort of started dating each other, and I guess I felt a bit lonely.”

He gripped the soda in his hand, and turned to Dave. His smile spoke a thousand words, and Dave hoped that someone took a picture right now. “I’m really glad you consider a friend and trusted me enough to let me listen.”

What happened next was [not] super embarrassing, and totally did [not] involve a “hug.”

So, the inevitable happens and Dave falls deeper and deeper for his Soda Boy.

Better yet, the two grow closer as the months tick by. They no longer meet only at the vending machine. They meet after class, in restaurants, in their dorms, in the library. Wherever you saw John, you saw Dave and vice versa.

Llike how every “laundry girl” cliché goes, you can’t have them. In the end, you were mere strangers who happen to meet. Don’t all strangers do?

But that’s not the ending of Soda Boy.

 Dave, at first, was a bit luststuck at the sight of John. Now Dave positively adores him. He’s always ever wanted to impress John, to somehow make John realize that maybe he was good enough for him. Maybe they could be together, and not as just some quick way to get off, but in a way that involves a house in the suburban, with a white-picket fence, 2.5 children and a dog.

So after months of midnight sleepovers that lasted to dawn, of discussions over where to eat turning into a full out war, of sleeping with a phone by his side with “goodnight” written in a blue text, of promised breakfast feasts in honor of passing grades, of game nights with made up rules and missing game pieces, of silent nights of just watching John sleep by his side, Dave finally decides to do something.

The end of Soda Boy begs to differ from the old “laundry girl” cliché. Don’t all strangers meet other strangers in order to become something more than just that?

“Hey, John,” Dave greeted as the other boy ran in. “Took you long enough.”

“Dave!” John yelled as he held Dave’s collar. “You said there was an emergency? Where’s the 10-foot lizard?” He looked around the room, but nothing seemed to be out of place.

“Oh yeah that,” Dave sighed. “I lied, so anyway—“

“Dave, really?” John said in disappointment. He pulled his bag from his back, and took out a net. “I ran to the store and bought a net,” John sighed as he waved it around. ”I thought I could finally have a lizard as a pet.”

“John, I did call you over here because it was important, the lizard really doesn’t matter. It was sort of a trick to get you here as soon as possible because I know you’re a little shit who likes to take his time walking across the university to get to my dorm.”

“Well, what is it?”John asked. Dave sucked in a breath, and released it slowly.

“Okay, let me just start off by asking: You know what a laundry girl is?” Dave said this slowly, but as he asked the question he looked at John and nervously spoke faster.

“You mean the whole troupe about meeting someone and secretly fantasizing about how your future children will look and—“

“Okay that’s enough,” Dave said. “Alright, this might sound stupid,” and Dave paused. He looked at John for a signal to continue, and knowing what Dave was trying to convey in silence, John nodded his head.

“I think that everyone in the world has a laundry girl, you know a stranger they don’t know.” Another nod. “And I just think that it’s because they never ever become more than that, strangers. And I’m not too sure about how this applies to you and I, but at one point in time we were like fucking strangers. Oh, I don’t mean like we did the nasty with strangers, but technically that does make sense any way we, I mean you probably did anyway, I mean why wouldn’t you.”

John’s expression is unreadable at the moment. “Holy shit, what I’m trying to say is that, over the course of like months of getting to know you made an asshole like me consider that plausibly in this crazy mixed up bitchin’ reality we could be something more than strangers, more than friends, because by my whacked up shit theories is that you + I = something magical to behold and it ultimately means that somewhere some deity frowns down upon me and tells me ‘hey shit stick you didn’t fuck up this time’.

“And clichés are overrated anyway, that’s why nobody uses them anymore other than crappy sitcoms that air during prime time on disney channel. And I don’t want this to be a cliché, I don’t want to win anyone, or belong to anyone, or complete anyone. I don’t us to be just someone’s otp of some crappy comic or book or whatever. I want to be beside you because I know you, because I love the things you do, and sometimes there might be things that I hate, but it’s fucking life, and it’s imperfect. And I’m imperfect too, and when I realized that you and I were just two imperfect assholes who liked sharing soda by a generic school wall, then I realized that this was fucking it. I just want to be with you and I don’t know get a taco in celebration with you because ain’t life the greatest thing you could ever imagine, but my life won’t ever be as great as a life I could have with you.”

End scene. Dave looked up, and sees John smiling. In an instant, the breaking silence of Dave’s speech is broken with the sounds of two people’s laugh.

Dave Strider has his Soda Boy, and many months ago, he only dreamed of being by his side. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write more of this au... but it took a turn and become extremely mushy.
> 
> And check out my [writing tumblr](http://ghost-assist.tumblr.com) if you're up for it!


End file.
